Part 2 – Episode 28
The silence was long.
Then, the butler assassin suddenly rose up with a bewildered expression. Wait, wasn’t he getting ready to punch me in the face?
Just before the ticklish, feeble attack reached my cheek.
I lightly blocked his fist with my hand and asked.
“What are you doing?”
“…Are you really the master?”
“Want to find out by feeling it with your body?”
I clenched my fist to give him a chance to feel it.
His eyes squeezed shut tightly. Soon, he covered his face with both hands and let out a long sigh.
“You’re alive… should I say I’m glad, or should I be angry…”
“You hired Deschamps because you believed I was alive, didn’t you?”
“Hired her because I believed that? I brought her here just in case! Wasn’t your opponent a literal living disaster? It wouldn’t be strange if you were buried in a mountain of corpses somewhere…”
Perhaps it was difficult to control his intense emotions, for the assassin-butler stopped speaking and took slow breaths.
‘So he knows I faced Rein.’
From the nuances of his actions, it seemed he didn’t know I was lying asleep on Calepa. How?
I had many questions that needed answers, but it was time to focus on putting out that fire.
“Calm down for now. Rue, is there no way to extinguish the flames?”
“The power of Rein’s blooming is the power of death. His flames won’t be extinguished until all the wraiths in the burning land awaken, be it humans or animals.”
Flames that awaken wraiths.
Yes… even in the trash hill, corpses rose wherever the flames erupted.
“Is there no way to stop it?”
“The power of blooming is difficult to stop with ordinary magic. It’s not impossible, but even 5 top-level mages sticking together to deal with it would break out in sweat.”
To request additional magical support from the outside or anywhere else in a situation as urgent as this? It would be absurd.
‘In the end, it means that the power of blooming can only be stopped by a similar level of power – another product of blooming.’
But I felt uneasy leaving it to Rue.
He’d spent the whole day sleeping yesterday – I didn’t want to put more strain on him here.
So the only option left was my blooming.
Immortality.
‘Hmm.’
…A good idea came to mind.
“Rue, I have a favor to ask.”
“No.”
It was a firm refusal as if he could clearly see what I was thinking.
He lightly jumped to the ground and warned me with eyes devoid of any hint of a smile.
“No, Daisy. I can’t do you that favor. It’s been four years. Whether I took a break in the meantime or not, I’ve waited for you for four years.”
“What is this blue cat?”
“But you said so yourself, Rue. You wanted to watch over the path I walk.”
“Oh, it’s Master Rue? He’s even an animal now…”
“As long as Rein is targeting me, we’ll inevitably face each other again someday. I don’t intend to be foolishly defeated like last time. Even less so, I don’t want to rely on you like a child.”
“As expected, that living disaster was targeting you, master.”
This butler assassin, this tactless brat. Stop butting in. Can’t you see I’m trying to persuade Rue?
After shooting the Rank 19 Hero a look to shut up, I continued my persuasion.
“And we’ll need to find another land that suits me anyway, no? It wouldn’t be bad to build a sacred Daisy sanctuary like Calepa…”
He vanished.
I looked around and even checked the butler assassin’s head, but the blue cat was nowhere to be seen.
Rue had disappeared.
“Rue?”
Was he upset?
I couldn’t click my tongue and think he was being petty. I wouldn’t have been any different if the situation had been reversed.
‘I feel a bit uncomfortable.’
In the past, no matter what anyone said, I went where my feet took me and acted as my heart desired. But now that Rue was with me… Well, I still acted as I pleased. That was what made him angry.
“What do you intend to do in that state?”
When I raised my hand to move the assassin-butler aside to check there, I found that my hand had transformed into a man’s again.
My appearance had probably changed into Andert’s again. That was exactly what I wanted to ask Rue for. As expected, Rue understood me well.
“I have to do what I can. Ash? It’s dangerous, so you stay seated there.”
Ash, comfortably perched on the assassin-butler’s head, let out a small cry.
[Roasted pineapple.]
The startled assassin-butler touched his head with an embarrassed expression.
“When did this get on my head…?”
“It’s okay. Nothing will happen to me, Ash.”
“I think something has happened to me, though.”
I turned and headed towards the center of the situation.
As I concentrated, I could hear the voices of people clearly, despite the relatively long distance they were away.
“Let’s go with accepting the demands of the opponent for now.”
At the suggestion of a blonde woman who seemed to be firmly determined, a middle-aged man with squinty eyes fiercely objected.
“No, Baron. Please make your judgment rationally! Do you believe these lunatics will keep their word? Do you think they will just give up on suicide bombing and retreat if we accept their demands?”
“It’s a judgment I made after full consideration. If they plan to self-detonate whether we accept their demands ornot, it’s better for the public to know that we accepted.”
The woman stated firmly with a resolute gaze.
“Now that the situation has come to this, we have no way to refuse.”
“Haah… Alright. Alright!. Let’s say we accepted it! But Baron, what will you do if they ask us to guarantee their survival and a safe escape while threatening us with those bombs? Will you just let them go?”
“Then will you follow and kill them? Even if the moment their heart stops, the explosive might be signaled to detonate?”
“…”
“Please inform the Brisher Security Forces of our plan and request the closure of this area. Does anyone have any objections?”
Of course.
“Me.”
Perhaps because I approached without letting my presence be found, some were greatly startled by my voice and were immediately alerted.
Someone half-drew their sword, and someone else already drew their sword to threaten me. Those concerned about the leader’s safety quickly closed the distance, blocking my way to him and preparing to take action to get rid of me.
But their response went only that far.
“…A civilian? Are you a citizen of Brisher?”
Amidst the strange silence that followed.
Among those facing off, the youngest-looking young man grabbed my shoulder with a relieved face. When I didn’t budge at his strength, he looked at me with a somewhat troubled expression.
“This place is dangerous, so please leave immediately. Walk down this road and you’ll be guided to safety.”
“… .”
“I will help you evacuate…”
Then, the squinty-eyed man, who had been staring at me in disbelief, turned to the young man and snapped at him.
“Enough, be quiet!”
In the meantime, the guild master of <Golden Lion Mane> took a deep breath, regaining her composure.
“You… are…”
I jutted my chin at the woman who couldn’t seem to continue. Don’t stop, just step aside a bit.
From beside the woman who hurriedly stepped aside, someone called out in surprise rather urgently.
“May I ask your name?”
“Andert Fager.”
“…Oh my god.”
“Andert Fager? You mean that Andert Fager?”
“Am I dreaming?”
“Please step back, everyone.”
As I passed by the squinty-eyed man, I swiftly drew the sword from his waist.
“Please let me borrow this, too.”
People had already parted to two sides before I knew it.
It was good not hearing the usual whispers for once. This reaction was worth changing my appearance for.
Noticing the change, the terrorists, who had suddenly appeared, stared at me with a hint of tension in their eyes.
I flicked my fingers at them without hesitation.
Devil Sword Technique.
Whatever.
Rue really took back Daisy’s cute cat stroking privileges with this one
Thank you for the chapter!
OK, assassin butler wasn’t a part of the standoff. Daisy and Rue still either push him around or straight up ignore, though.